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(No Model.) l2. sheets-sheen 1.

o.. A. MILLIGAN & M. J. KILLION. sHI-Ps BERTE. y No. 298,012. I PatentedMay 6, 1884.

IHI Il imm I N. PETERS. HuobLixhagmpMr. vlamingen. D. l.

' ,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. MILLIGAN, OF ISOMERVILLE, AND MICHAEL J. KILLION, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN ORS TO THE EXCELSIOR SELF-LEVEL- ING BERTH AND AUTOMATIC LADDER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, ME.

SHIPS'BERTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,012, dated rMay 6, 1884. nApplication filed February 7. 1884. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES A. MILLI- GAN and MIQHAELJ.' KILLIoN, respectively of Somerville, iny the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, and Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Ships Berths, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and eX- act to enable any person skilled in the'art orscience to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which- .15 j

Figure l is an isometrical perspective view of our improved berth; Fig. 2, atop plan view of the same, showing the crib; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of the berth and crib 5 Figmt, an end viewof the anti-friction journal; Fig. 5, a vertical longitudinal section of the journal; Fig. 6', a sectional-view, showing the method of hanging the crib; and Fig. 7, a

vertical transverse section of the berth and` crib and a side elevation of lthe rack.

Like letters and figures of reference indig cate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Our invention relates to that class of ships berths which are adapted to swing or are selfleveling; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of the parts, as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed, Vby which a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character is produced than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A A represent the end walls of the state-room, B the berth, and C the crib.

The berth in horizontal cross-section is rectangular in form, has a curved bottom, a, and its front side board preferably constructed slightly higher at either end than it is in the center. It is suspended in the state-,room on journals D-one at either endfthe journals being respectively provided with dovetail iianges b,'which are inserted in corresponding vertically-arranged dovetail grooves d, formed inthe head and foot boards of the berth. The

' construction of the journals is best seen in Fig.

ing arranged to work in these grooves, the

rollers projecting slightly beyond the cap G and base in which the groove h is formed. The interior of the socket E is threaded, and a correspondingly-threaded bushing or thinible,H, is screwed into the socket, the Vrollers. resting in this thimble,which may be readily replaced when worn out, and thus preserve the socket.

The crib is provided with ahead-board, k, foot-board, Z, and laterally-inclined side rails, m'. Its bottom is curved to conform to the curvature of the bottom of 'the berth, andl is composed of the' center rails orV slats, p, suspended on bands q, attached to the side rails, m. Each of the side Lrails is secured to the head and foot boards kl, and is provided With a bar, t, having a stud, o, which projectshoriz'ontally beyond the side of the crib, and is supported on a rod, w, the'rod being suspended on coiled springs x, disposed in a casing, y, in theside board of the berth.

A curved segment or 4toothed rack, J, is disposed beneath the head of the berth, being securely attached to the end wall of the stateroom, and fitted to slide vertically in proper ways on the inner side of the head-board of the `berth there is a locking-bar, K.

A horizontally-arranged lever, L, is pivoted at z to the head-board of the berth, the inner end of this lever being jointed to the upper end of the bar K, and its outer end to the end of a bar, M. The bar M is arranged horizontally and pivoted atv 5 to the plate l0, the plate being attached to the inner face of the front side board of the berth.

A vertically-arranged hand-lever, N, is pivoted at 7 to a plate, 8, the plate being also attached to the inner face of the front side board of the berth. (In Fig. 8 the front Side board being represented as removed,the plates 8 and 10 are necessarily represented as detached therefrom.) The lever is curved below its pivot 7 nearly to its lower end, as seen at 1.2, and is provided with a headed stud or projection, 14, which is Iitted to work in a slot, 6, in the lever M.

A C-spring, 15, is placed between the bottom of the crib and the bottom of the berth, in such a position as to come about under the hips of the occupant of the crib, the supporting-studs o being so disposed as to make the center of gravity and center of motion coincident, or as nearly so as possible.

In the use of our improvement, to lock the berth the upper end of the lever X is pulled toward the head of the crib, causing the curve 12 on said lever to depress the outer end of the lever M, and thereby elevate the outer end of the lever L and force the bar K into engagement with the rack J, as shown in Fig. 3, the berth being unlocked by pushing the upper end ot' the lever in the opposite direc tion, or toward the foot of the crib, until its head 14 strikes the lower side of the lever M, thereby elevating its outer end, depressing the outer end of the lever L, and disengaging the bar .K from the rack J, as shown in Fig. 7.

It will be obvious that the curve 12 may be placed on the opposite side of the lever N, if desired, and accomplish the same results, the lever being moved accordingly to lock or unlock the berth.

As it is essential to construct the berth as long as possible, or so that it will iill the state-room between the end walls', A, the detachable anged journals D and grooves d are used, thereby enabling the journals to be readily attached to the berth after the berth is placed in position between the walls, which is accomplished by first inserting the journals in the sockets E and then raising the berth until the anges on the sockets enter the lower ends of the grooves,and dropping it into position.

Te do not confine ourselves to using the bar w, spring 15, bushing H, or two springs, p m, as these features may be varied as desired. The forni of the lever N and bottom of the crib C may also be varied and accomplish substantially the same result.

Having thus explained our invention, what We claim is l. In a seit-leveling ships berth substantially such as described, the lever N, pivoted to the side of the berth, and provided with the bend or cam 12, and headed stud 14, in combination with the pivoted lever H, and means for locking the berth, substantially as specified.

2. In a self-leveling ships berth substantially such as described, the berth B, provided 65 with the dovet'ail grooves d, for receiving the beveled or dovetailed flange on the journal D, substantially as specified.

3. The improved self-leveling ships berth herein described, the same consisting of the berth B, provided with the sockets E, bushings I-I, grooves d, springs x, bar w, and rack J, the crib C, provided with side rails, m, studded bars t, slats p, bands q, levers L M N, bar K, ilanged journal D, cap G, and rollers t', 75 constructed, combined, and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

CHAS. A. MILLIGAN. MICHAEL J. KILLION.

lfitnesses:

C. A. SHAW, L. J. WHITE. 

